BSP to contest all 182 assembly seats in Gujarat

Vadodara, Sep 11 (UNI) The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will go it alone and contest all the 182 seats in the coming assembly elections in Gujarat, party's Gujarat co-ordinator Rampal singh said.

Addressing a news conference here today after formally announcing the entry of former BJP minister Nalin Bhatt into his party fold, Mr Rampal said judging the mood of the voters, his party had decided to fight all the seats in Gujarat on its own without having any pre-poll alliace.

''We are very hopeful of gaining a sizeable chunk of votes to oust the Narendra Modi government out of power as both BJP and Congress have lost people's confidence'' he said.

Mr Rampal claimed that his party had already organised its workers at block level and party supremo Mayawati's two-day campaign in the state on September 15 and 16 would further boost the morale of the party workers and leaders.

Besides meeting the press at Vadodara on her arrival here on September 15 evening, Ms Mayawati is scheduled to address two public rallies at Vadodara and Gandhinagar on the following day, with a view to showcase her party's strength.

According to party sources, this is for the first time that BSP would field candidates for all 182 seats in Gujarat. In the 2002 assembly polls, the party candidates had forfeited their deposits in all the 30 constitutencies they had contested.